Crimping leather for boots or shoes



(No Model.)

J. D. BACON. GRIMPING LEATHER FOR BOOTS 0R SHOES.

No. 579,915. Patented Mar. 30, 1897.-

Fzyi.

InveroZar.

UNITED STATES ATENT FrrcE- JAMES D. BACON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CREMPING LEATHER FOR BOOTS OR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,915, dated March 30, 1897.

Application filed October 30, 1896. Serial No. 610,600. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES D. BACON, of Boston, Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Crimping Leather for Boots or Shoes,which improvements are fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for crimping leather for boots and shoes, and has particular reference to the construction of the crimping-jaws constituting parts of such machines.

Crimping machines as ordinarily constructed have two crimping-jaws which operate to bend or force the leather to be crimped downwardly over the edge of a tree or form of peculiar contour, and thereby stretch the leather to such configuration as to adapt it to use in the manufacture of boots and some styles of shoes. To attain the proper shape, the leather must be crowded or spread out and stretched in certain directions, and to effect this reliance is placed mainly, if not entirely, upon the construction of the crimpingjaws. Much difficulty has been experienced in the proper disposition of the leather to the foot,ankle, and leg parts, respectively, in such manner as to prevent wrinkling or creasing, especially over the ankle or throat of the boot or shoe. Such difficulties have been encountered with the construction of jaw illustrated in reissued Patent No. 6,525, of June 29, 1875, while the principal objection to the jaws shown in reissued Patent N 0. 6,526 of the same date is the danger of tearing the leather. WVith the upwardly-curved corrugations or ridges extending all the way up the face of the jaw, as shown in the former patent, the leather is drawn down into the throat to such extent as sometimes to produce puckering or wrinkling at that point, other corrugations at the sides, extending upwardly at a sharp angle from the ends of the upwardly-curved corrugations, being practically useless, as they are too far up on the jaw, and, moreover, the sharp'angle mentioned is apt to injure and tear the leather.

As already stated, the principal objection to the downwardly-curved corrugations extending over the entire face of the jaw, as shown in reissued Patent No.,6,526, is that they are apt to spread and stretch the leather away from the throat to such an extent as to tear it.

In accordance with the present invention I provide the face of the jaws with down wardlycurved or approximately V-shaped corrugations or ridges substantially conforming to the contour of the edge of the point and extending upwardly from said point over the face of the jaw only a short distance or far enough to insure sufficient spreading of the leather at the throat of the boot or shoe upon the descent of the jaws against the leather to prevent puckering or wrinkling and without injury to the leather. Above the series of corrugations or ridges already mentioned I provide others which curve upwardly in the middle of the face of the jaw and then downwardly and upwardly again at their ends at the edges of the jaw. These latter corrugations, after the prevention of wrinkling or puckering is insured by the action of the V- shaped corrugations, act to stretch and pull the leather down over the form or tree, and particularly to stretch and lengthen the leg and foot parts by reason of the upwardlyturned ends of the ridges or corrugations, such lengthening of the leg and foot portions being very desirable.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention in a jaw, which in practical use has produced very satisfactory results.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a face View of the jaw, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a tree or form, such as is preferably used in connection with the jaw illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, a to represent the downwardly-curved approximately V-shaped corrugations or ridges, the diverging sides of which extend upwardly to the lowermost one of a series of upwardly-curved corrugations or ridges b b. Corrugations b, which cover much the larger part of the face of the jaw, are bent downwardly and slightly upwardly at their ends, as at b.

C is a tree or form over which the leather is to be crimped, a depression 0 in said tree corresponding to the throat of the boot or shoe.

From what has already been stated it will be understood that upon the descent of the jaws against the leather upon the form or tree the corrugations a a act to spread the leather at the throat of the boot or shoe sulliciently to prevent puckering or wrinkling, and that the corrugations Z) act not only to stretch and draw the leather out upon the sides of the tree, but by reason of their downwardly and upwardly bent ends Z) to so stretch the leather or the leg and foot portions as to lengthen the same.

I do not of course limit myself to the precise arrangement and curvature of the several corrugations as shown in the drawings, as modifications may within certain limits be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Aeriinping-jawhaving a series of downwardly-curved approximately V-shaped corrugations or ridges extending part way up the face of the jaw from the point thereof, and a series of upwardly-curved corrugations or ridges extending across the face of the jaw above said dowmvardly-eurvcd corrugations, substantially as described.

ries, the corrugations or ridges of said secondseries being bent upwardly at the middle and downwardly and again upwardly at their ends along the edges of the jaw, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribin g witnesses.

JAMES I). BACON.

Witnesses:

A. S. SCI-IALLER, O. L. McCLmrocK. 

